Fox Kits
by liketolaugh
Summary: A series of oneshots in the same universe as Fox Wish. First story: Albus' POV of when he meets Ciel.
1. The Boy in the Bookstore

**A/N: You people are awesome, you know that? Forty reviews have been reached! Thus, below is your reward, as promised. Oh, and this one - like the new quotes at the beginnings of Fox Wish chapters - has things other people have said to/about Albus or Ciel. I thought it was interesting, anyway.**

**Title: Fox Kits**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: Ciel/Elizabeth**

**Genre: Friendship**

**Warnings: None**

**Summary: Albus meets Ciel one day in a bookstore in Diagon Alley.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

_"Welcome, boy. On an errand for your father?" _– Walking Stick Crafter (Kuroshitsuji)

* * *

Albus looked up at his mother and smiled. "We can go to the bookstore now, right?" he asked hopefully.

Kendra laughed softly. "Fine, Albus. Yes, we can go to the bookstore."

Albus grinned and instantly ran off in the direction of said bookstore, leaving behind his mother, who shook her head slowly, amused.

Albus burst into the bookstore, as he had many times before, and headed straight for the advanced section. He'd already read all of the assigned first year books, but they weren't enough. He wanted _more. _He wanted to understand, not just _know._

His gaze fell on a boy who was just entering, who was accompanied by a black-haired man. And was that an eye patch on the boy? How strange.

Albus paused, hovering just on the other side of the shelf. The boy seemed a bit young to have an eye patch, he mused, probably not even a first year, and fragile-looking to boot. But then the boy split off from the man and headed straight for the first year section. Ah. Just small for his age, then. But still fragile.

He continued to watch, task forgotten, as the boy went through the books. Each one he pulled out seemed to make him progressively more frustrated, until finally he put them all back on the shelf and moved on to the second year section, a bit closer to where Albus himself was, in the fourth year's area. The boy didn't seem any more pleased with those, and Albus suppressed a chuckle, but didn't bother to bite back a smile. Finally, someone who seemed to understand!

Albus made a split second decision and started toward the boy. He took a quick peek at the books and nearly grinned. Magical theory. It was one of Albus' favorites, too.

He reached out and tapped the boy on the shoulder. He shut the book and looked up at Albus, curiosity and a hint of wariness dancing in one startlingly blue eye, and Albus paused to muse on the eye patch for another moment before explaining himself.

"I noticed that you seemed interested in magical theory," he explained. No need for the boy to have to go through every book till fourth year like he had. It was a waste of time. "It's an interest of mine too, but most of the detailed books are in the fourth years' section. They're simple enough, really, so I wondered if you would be interested in going through them with me." He glanced at the title of the particular book Ciel was looking at – he'd seemed, well, not pleased, but not _displeased _with it – and recognized it as one he'd looked at himself. "I looked at that one earlier and it should be good as a reference if we don't understand something from the higher level books, but don't be fooled by the table of contents; it's not actually very detailed." Which frustrated Albus. If you were going to go over so much material, why not do it _right?_

He inwardly shook himself and waited patiently as a considering look flickered through the cerulean gaze, his own ice looking expectantly at the boy. If he said no, well, that would just prove that Albus didn't get along with his peers. If he said yes, his mother would stop pushing him to start talking to people his own age. Hopefully. If she believed him, anyway. He suppressed a chuckle; yes, he was willingly talking with someone who wasn't an adult or related to him. Aberforth would never believe this.

Finally, the boy replied, sounding almost resigned, "I may as well."

Albus smiled at him, pleased, and then started to lead the smaller boy to the fourth years' area. Oh, right. He hadn't introduced himself. "My name is Albus Dumbledore," he told him over his shoulder.

"I am Ciel Phantomhive."

Ciel? Oh, Phantomhive. He recognized that name, sort of. Hm, maybe his mother wouldn't be so pleased, then – the Phantomhives were a Grey family, much darker than Albus' own Light one. Still, Kendra couldn't do much about it if she didn't find out until they were at Hogwarts.

They quickly reached the section and Albus pointed the 'theory cluster' out to Ciel, who nodded in acknowledgement and then began to look through the shelves.

A while later, Albus glanced at Ciel as he pulled another book off the shelf. Catching sight of the title, Albus grinned. Ha, Phantomhive would be unafraid of Dark magic. Still, it was nice to see he wasn't the only one with few compunctions against it. "That interests you, huh? That's borderline Dark magic. It's very powerful, but controversial. I don't mind it myself, but if you're going to look into it, you best keep it to yourself."

"Indeed," Ciel murmured, opening the book with a very clear interest.

It was a while later when Albus glanced up again. A girl had attached herself to Ciel, who didn't looked displeased, but did seem rather flustered. Albus chuckled and looked back down. Now, this was an interesting look into elemental magic… He ignored the commotion in front of him, barely remembering to respond when Ciel said good-bye.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, but eventually he became aware that Kendra was standing over him, looking down at him with fond exasperation. "Oh, hello, Mum."

Kendra nearly laughed as he stood, gathering up his books. "Hello, Albus, good of you to acknowledge my presence."

Albus didn't blush. He _didn't._

"You spent the entire time reading, didn't you?" she accused, tone fighting amusement.

"No!" Albus said defensively. "I talked with Ciel some."

Kendra nearly perked up. "Oh? So you made a friend."

Albus rolled his ice blue eyes. "I didn't make a _friend, _Mum. We just talked some." Not that he would _mind _making friends with Ciel, but that wasn't the point. They weren't friends. Judging from what little he'd seen of the boy's personality, Ciel didn't want to be friends, either.

Kendra chuckled softly. "Whatever you say, Albus."

* * *

**There it is! I put a lot more of Albus' thoughts into it, because I didn't want it to be too similar. I mean, the same things happened and the same things were said, so the thoughts were the only things I could add/change. Mostly. Oh, well. Hope you liked it! Please review! Next Fox Kit is when Ciel's servants received his letter home, and the one after that Albus' family and ****_his _****letter, at sixty and eighty reviews respectively (not AS much when you realize it's twenty reviews for each, right? *hopeful look) or chapters fifteen and twenty. Please review!**


	2. The Letter from Hogwarts (Ciel)

**A/N: Much thanks and amusement to Guest, who reviewed several times in order to make the total review count reach the requested 60. I did consider not counting them, but it made me laugh, so this Fox Kit is dedicated to Guest.**

**Title: Fox Kits**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship**

**Warnings: None**

**Summary: The servants weren't expecting Ciel to write so soon, and the contents of his letter are even more surprising.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

_"I met Albus Dumbledore at the age of eleven, on our first day at Hogwarts." – Elphias Doge (Harry Potter)_

* * *

Sebastian glared at the three servants, who withered under his gaze. He opened his mouth to begin yelling at them (for they had destroyed his renovations _again – _he swore that they were even worse with the Master out of the house, and he hadn't known that was possible) but was interrupted by an earsplitting screech.

Sebastian closed his mouth. Bard looked over his shoulder and frowned.

"Hey, what's that?"

Sebastian looked over and sighed. "Oh, Eliza," he murmured in realization. The undersized eagle owl was perched on the outside windowsill, glaring inside at him. She must have been waiting for quite some time; she looked extremely annoyed, much like Ciel was perpetually. He turned, scolding forgotten, and opened the window, allowing Eliza inside. She swooped over and landed on his shoulder, shaking her leg at him impatiently.

"This is the Young Master's messenger owl," he explained to the three confused servants. He detached the letter, ignoring Eliza's irritated nipping at his fingers, and broke the seal. "He must have written." How odd. It hadn't been _that _long.

Those words, though, were all it took for the servants to be across the room, crowding around him.

"What'd he say? What'd he say?" Bard demanded, trying to look over his shoulder to read the letter.

"Yes, what did the Young Master write?" Mey-rin agreed, doing the same.

"Yeah, tell us!" pushed Finny, standing on tiptoes to peer past Bard.

"Back off, all of you!" Sebastian ordered, frowning at them. "I cannot read the letter with you three crowding around and pushing."

All three back off instantly, and Sebastian let out an exasperated sigh before unfolding the letter and beginning to read it aloud.

_"To Sebastian, Bard, Mey-rin, and Finny," _he read. _"Are you all well? Sebastian, I trust you have prevented the manor from being destroyed too horribly?"_

Sebastian chuckled, and the servants shuffled, a little embarrassed.

_"All is going well here. The classes are fine, if a bit dull. Though, there is one professor… She seems to bear some sort of grudge, and is causing no end of trouble."_

Sebastian paused, frowning. So Ciel was having some trouble at Hogwarts? He made a mental note to check on the boy – anything would do to break the monotony, and he disliked the thought of not being present with trouble about – and then moved on.

_"Well, never mind that. I am doing well thus far and spend much of my time researching in the library with Albus."_

Sebastian paused again to give the parchment a surprised look. "The Young Master is socializing?"

Bard grinned. "'Bout time!" he said approvingly.

"Albus," Finny mused, testing the feel of the name of his Master's new friend on his tongue. "Albus."

Mey-rin smiled, too. "It's good for the Young Master to have a friend, it is."

Sebastian shook his head bemusedly and then continued.

_"Most of the other students are horribly idiotic, of course. Albus is alright, I suppose, but his friend, Elphias Doge, leaves something to be desired. Sadly, he is also very nearly impossible to get rid of, so I suppose I will have to tolerate him._

_I was Sorted into Slytherin, by the way. Not that I am at all surprised – it is the house of cunning and ambition, after all. Albus is a Gryffindor, so I expect that I'll see that side of him more often than I'd like, foolish bravery and such. He ought to be a Ravenclaw, I think, but I suppose that it is impossible for him to have been Sorted incorrectly."_

"Huh?" Finny puzzled. "Slytherin? Gryffindor?"

"The school houses," Sebastian explained in a clipped voice. "The students at the school the Young Master is attending are Sorted into houses according to certain personality traits. The Young Master is quite correct in saying that he was certainly going to be Sorted into Slytherin." Before any of them could ask further questions, he went on.

_"Peeves is as infuriating as any student. He has stolen my eye patch on numerous occasions – I'm quite sick of him, but I suppose there's nothing to be done about it."_

He could practically see Ciel scowling as he wrote that, and chuckled.

_"I received your package of paperwork, by the way, and have nearly completed it. Even with the homework added, it should be done quickly enough. Expect it sooner rather than later."_

Sebastian smirked; he knew that Ciel hated paperwork.

_"I have undertaken a project or two with Albus, and they are keeping me more occupied than the classes themselves, and are far more interesting. I will not share details at the moment, but suffice to say that they are more advanced than anything our idiotic classmates could understand._

_Well, that is all I have to say, so I wish you all a good day._

_Sincerely, Ciel Phantomhive."_

Sebastian closed the letter.

"Who is this 'Albus' guy?" Bard wanted to know. "Gotta be someone special if the _Young Master _is talkin' to him. After all, he don't make friends with just anyone."

"True," Sebastian mused. "I suppose we will find out with time, if they have any measure of closeness. However, from the contents of the letter, I would guess that he has intelligence at least on par with the Young Master's, which may explain how he attracted his attention."

"I guess," murmured Finny, fidgeting slightly. He knew _he _certainly wasn't that intelligent. "Master Ciel would like someone as smart as him." He smiled. "Maybe he'll be good for him!" he suggested, cheered by the thought.

The conversation dissolved into speculation, mostly about Ciel's new friend, but Sebastian stepped away, thinking on another part of the letter.

Well, he may not be able to accompany his Young Master _inside _the castle, but there was no reason for him not to survey things from outside the wards.

"I have business away from here," he announced abruptly, silencing Bard's speculation that maybe Albus was some kind of magical friend-maker who used magic to force people to be his friends. "I will be gone for a few days, so do try not to destroy anything _too _badly in my absence."

"Where are you going, Mister Sebastian?" Mey-rin wanted to know.

"The Young Master's letter reminded me of something that needs taking care of, quite a ways from here," Sebastian explained carefully. "Again, I will be gone for some time."

"OK, then," Finny agreed brightly.

"Don't be gone long," Bard added gruffly.

"Come back soon, Mister Sebastian!" Mey-rin agreed.

Sebastian nodded to them and left, already recalling the precise location of Hogwarts. He had business there, after all.

At least… he did now.

* * *

**Yeah... no one seemed real interested in this one. So I'll post this, Albus' letter as soon as I write that one, and then I'll just take suggestions. Please review!**

**Edit - Guest wants to know what Elizabeth is doing. Currently, she is attending Beauxbatons, and all that involves. Though I'm not sure you'll see this...**


	3. The Letter to Home (Albus)

**A/N: This time, thanks go to Maria, who wanted the thoughts of Kendra on Ciel. I promised that this one would be next, so this has to go up first, but that'll be next. And possibly soon. *smile***

**Title: Fox Kits**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship**

**Warnings: None**

**Summary: Aberforth brings Albus' letter to Kendra and they read it together.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.**

* * *

_"Well, well! Why, if it isn't Earl Phantomhive!" - Harold West (Kuroshitsuji)_

* * *

"Mum! _Mum!" _Footsteps pounded against the floor, pace swift and excited.

"Aberforth!" Kendra's voice came sharp and disapproving. "What have I told you about running and yelling in the house?"

Aberforth deflated. "That it's undignified and I shouldn't do it," he mumbled. But then he perked up again, blue eyes sparkling at his mother. "But Mum, Albus sent his letter!"

Kendra raised one eyebrow, interested now. "Oh, did he? Hand it to me, then, Aberforth."

Obediently, Aberforth handed the letter to his mother, who broke the wax seal and pulled out the letter. She glanced down at Aberforth, looking at her expectantly, chuckled quietly, and began to read the missive aloud.

"_Dear Mum,_

_Hi, Mum. And hi to you, too, Abe – I know you're listening."_

Aberforth jumped, red spilling across his face lightly, but he soon settled, eyes still twinkling. Kendra didn't even spare him a glance before she went on.

_"School is better than I thought. The classes are painfully simple, though – why aren't they harder?"_

Kendra laughed. "Of course," she said fondly. "Albus really is too smart for his own good. He doesn't really seem to realize how far ahead he is."

"He's _really _smart, though!" Aberforth objected. "So he should know that he's smart."

_"We aren't to be taken so lightly. Well, not most of us, at least. The library has proven to be an interesting place, though, and we (Ciel and I) spend a lot of time there."_

"Ciel?" Aberforth wanted to know.

"Perhaps he made a friend," suggested Kendra lightly. Aberforth considered this idea, but dismissed it with a shake of his head, protesting,

"But Al doesn't make friends very fast!"

"Maybe Ciel is different," murmured Kendra, going on.

_"The Defense professor isn't so nice, though. I don't know what's wrong with her."_

Both of them frowned, but didn't say a word to that.

_"I made a friend-" _Aberforth's eyes widened._ "– two, as a matter of fact –" _He gaped._ "-and I know you weren't expecting me to, Abe, stop gaping."_

It was a moment before Aberforth recovered enough of his dignity to protest weakly, "Hey! _Al!"_

Kendra chuckled softly at her son's antics and moved on, smiling to herself. Hogwarts, just like she'd thought, was good for Albus.

_"One of them is Elphias Doge. He came down with a case of dragon pox not long before the school year started, and it showed – no one will go near him but me. Well, me and Ciel."_

"Who is Ciel?" Aberforth pushed. Kendra raised her eyebrow at him. He quieted.

_"And that's the second time I've mentioned Ciel, isn't it?"_

"Yes!" Aberforth burst out. It was a sharp look this time, and he settled again, impatiently waiting to hear what else his brother had written. After a moment, Kendra continued reading.

_"He's that boy you saw me with at the bookstore, Mum. We did end up becoming friends, actually. He's a Phantomhive,"_

Kendra's eyes narrowed, but she didn't pause. The Phantomhives were a dangerous family to be around, but all the same… They weren't precisely Dark in the same way many other families were. But they were in no way Light.

Did she really want Albus around this Ciel?

Did she even really have a choice?

_"the head of his family now."_

Aberforth's eyes widened in awe.

_"I don't envy him – that must come with a lot of responsibility, but also a lot of power. Well, I suppose those are almost synonymous, anyway."_

"They are, indeed," Kendra said softly. Aberforth's head swiveled to look at her instead of the paper, but she didn't say anything further, just read on.

_"I made Gryffindor, by the way."_

Kendra smiled. Aberforth beamed.

"I'm gonna be a Gryffindor, too!" he announced proudly.

"I'm sure you will," Kendra assured him.

_"Ciel is a Slytherin – he knew it even before the hat said so."_

Aberforth's eyes rounded, but Kendra didn't react. It came as no real surprise.

"He's friends with a Slytherin?" Aberforth asked, voice hushed. "But they're _tricky!"_

"So is your brother," Kendra replied, eyes staying on the paper.

_"Well, I've been having a good time. How go things there?_

_Sincerely, Albus."_

Kendra folded up the letter and tucked it back into the envelope, smiling a little. "He seems to be doing well," she sighed, wondering.

How much had Albus told her, really?

How much hadn't he?

Of course, Aberforth had no such ominous thoughts, and he was almost bursting with excitement. "I'm going to go tell Ariana!" he exclaimed, snatching the letter from where Kendra had placed in on the table and running for the door. "She's going to be so pleased!"

Kendra's brow furrowed.

Ariana.

Ariana worried her.

But then she smiled.

Yes. Ariana would like to hear this; she liked Albus almost as much as she did Aberforth, and certainly more than she did Kendra.

She smiled again, a little wistful and a little sad, and stood to follow after her excited youngest son.

"Aberforth, make sure not to upset her," she called after him, knowing there was no risk, but needing to speak the reminder anyway.

"I won't!" came the protest.

No. He wouldn't. And she did know that.

She couldn't say the same of herself.

* * *

**Not a lot of interest in this either. *shrug* Kendra's reflection on Ciel comes next. I'm not sure when it'll be up, but probably sooner rather than later. Please review, and remember that any request will be considered! And yeah... this Kit's quote sucks. I found it in a hurry. I need to fix my deposit of quotes that are _about _Ciel instead of _by _him; apparently it's deficient. Though I'm pretty sure some of you haven't even noticed them and most of you don't care.**


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